Teachers back new pay deal

By Alex O'Reilly, The Bermuda Sun, (News from 2000-02-11
Edition), 13 February 2000

AFTER six months of talks and intermittent class disruption, teachers
and their bosses have finally thrashed out a new pay deal. It
includes a three per cent pay increase and an extra week of maternity
leave, and was okayed by unionized teachers on Monday night. This
after agreement was reached between the Bermuda Union of Teachers
(BUT), the Education Ministry and the Principal Association, following
more than six months of negotiations.

According to BUT secretary Michael Charles, there were no opposing
votes and just 16 abstentions. This is the end result of unrest which
took the form of sick outs staged by teachers last October, closing
government schools for two days. Major points in the deal:

an extra week of maternity leave;

one paid day of leave;

two full days of uninterrupted classroom preparation in September;

a half day for parent-teacher meetings;

a three per cent pay increase.

A plus from Government's standpoint is that teachers have agreed to 25
hours a year of development training.

"In this type of negotiation," said Mr. Charles, "you
never get exactly what you want but we believe this is fair.

"Teachers are mainly feeling relieved right now. Although they
were not involved intimately in the negotiations, it was still hanging
over their heads. I think for the most part they will be able to put
the situation behind them and move on."

Added the Education Ministry's Maureen Nusum, who chaired the
negotiations: "From the government side, all parties want this to
work and we actually managed to solve some problems which were outside
of the negotiating issues.

"Now we are in the spirit of talking and listening to each other,
we hope to continue to work together."

Mr. Charles added that while it sounded idealistic, that relationship
between the three parties is the only way to make the system work
smoothly.

"We have to look at our ultimate aim: the improvement of our
students," said Mr. Charles.

He added that teacher morale had suffered through the debate. And he
hopes that with the increased communication between the three parties,
confidence will be restored.

Many of the issues tackled, Mr. Charles said, the BUT has been raising
with government for years, such as the extension of the 12-week
maternity leave to 13 weeks.

This, he said, has been a long standing complaint for teachers. Unlike
other jobs, they cannot just work up until the day before.

And, according to General Orders, teachers are required to give up
work two months before the birth, or to get special permission from
their doctor to remain in school, absolving the Ministry from any
accidents that may happen in that period.

But in all cases, said Mr. Charles, the result is the new mothers have
less than three months at home with their babies. And in a number of
cases have tried to extend their time off.

"The issue of a paid personal day has also been
on-going. Traditionally teachers have had three unpaid days they could
take. Now they have those in addition to one paid."

Another point considered a "win-win" by both sides, was to
allow teachers more preparation time before the start of the school
year. Mr. Charles said in the past teachers have been known to work
well into the night getting their classrooms ready for the opening of
school. This way they will be able to have two days, without
interruption, to prepare.

And Mr. Charles added: "From the union side we have been able to
get from the government a half-day so that we can do workshops with
our union reps.

"We were asking for a day and the government has relented and
given us half."

The sticking point in the bargaining was the 25 hours of development -
Government had been requesting 70.

Ms. Nusum said: "Through compromise and realistic negotiation we
reached 25 and we agreed how we could spread this time out over the
year so that it is not too intrusive on their time.

"There are big benefits of this to the system and the kids."

It was also agreed that teachers themselves would be used to provide
the staff development training, and be paid at a premium rate.

Previously, said Ms. Nusum, they had been just paid over-time. Now
teachers will be paid $60 an hour to hold workshops for their
colleagues.